Whether it’s intense cyclocross racing in dreary winter weather, adventure gravel riding in & out of forest cover, or even classic road rides in blistering sunshine, the next-generation interchangeable Ridescape lenses are each adapted to “emphasize colors” and “highlight surfaces” no matter what type of terrain you ride…
The newest tech here are Shimano’s Ridescape lenses which come in six different colors, each tailored to enhance your vision in certain riding conditions. Ridescape ES for extra shielding in sunny bright riding, HC for filtering out harshness in regular daylight, RD for all-around road riding sharpness, GR for gravel-specific surface contrast boosting, OR for off-road sharpness in and out of roots, rocks & trees, and CL to reduce glare and boost light transmission in dark riding.
“Details that would normally be washed out, dull, or flat become more clearly defined, vibrant and vivid.“
S-Phyre 2.0 eyewear
The 2nd generation updated Shimano S-Phyre Ridescape sunglasses are the more premium of the two new offerings, with a new magnetic lens clip design to make it easier and faster to tailor your eyewear to the conditions – or even easier to just clean the lens.
Featuring slightly larger lens coverage overall, the new S-Phyre shades keep a similar layout to the previous half-frames, with a straight upper frame that transitions back to the folding temples, plus a non-slip clip-on nosepiece.
The $220 / 190€ Grilamid TR90 half-frame glasses weigh just 29.3g (claimed) and come in five frame colors – matte black or white, and metallic red, orange, or blue. Each pair comes with a single dark-tinted Ridescape lens (ES, RD, OR, or GR) plus a pinkish clear Ridescapw CL spare lens for increased visibility in dark, cloudy, or wet riding conditions.
Aerolite eyewear
The new Shimano Aerolite sunglasses go half-frame too, just in the other direction, apparently for better protection off-road without compromising your field of view. With a bit of a structured lower frame, the more affordable Aerolites must keep mud & sand from flying up off your tires, as they have been popular on the cyclocross circuit this season.
They also are available for $70 / 65€ with another new brown Ridescape HC clip-in replaceable lens that boosts contrast in varied conditions, or you can get a pair with a photochromic gray lens for $110 / 95€ if you ride in more changing light levels. Pick them in your choice of five frame colors – black, white, metallic red, matte metallic blue, or moss green.
Based on the name, we shouldn’t be surprised that the Aerolites are even lighter at just 26g (claimed), plus they work with an Rx insert for cyclists who ride with prescription lenses.
